Little black fly infestation

Asked March 14, 2016, 6:22 PM EDT

Hello, I would like some help identifying the flies that have infested my home for a year now. I thought they were fruit flies but there is no food around for them- eveything is tightly sealed or refrigerated. I tried pouring apple cider vinegar in a bottle to trap them with no success. I also tried it with wine- it only worked once in the summer but hadn't attracted then since. They like to be in my bedroom, kitchen and bathroom mainly. They are everywhere but those are the places where they cluster the most. The house is cleaned daily with bleach. We have tried insecticides with no success. Even when sprayed directly at them, they continue flying around. They first came last spring and left briefly in the fall but were back again throughout the winter. They look like black fruit flies to me but I can't be sure. They are very small and I never see larger regular house flies.

1 Response

We cannot identify the type of fly from the photo. It is probably one of three types of flies--fruit fly, fungus gnat, drain fly. The following publication covers all three. https://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_images/programs/hgic/Publications/not_updated/HG%2026... If you have a drop of soda in a soda can, this can prolong the presence of fruit flies. Take out your trash as often as you can. If you see them mostly near drains, they may be drain flies. Follow the guidelines in the above publication. If they are near houseplants, they may be fungus gnats. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Contact your local extension office for further information. http://nyc.cce.cornell.edu/contact-us/ vw